A growing number of patients are seeking second opinions and are often finding them through online services, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Here are six points:
1. Various payers may require patients to get a second opinion if they need surgery. However, many insurance policies do not cover online services for second opinions unless they are offered as part of an employer's health plan.
2. Many online services are sponsored by established medical centers such as Massachusetts General Hospital, which has several locations in the Boston area. The hospital's online second opinion services had 10,000 cases in 2014 compared with less than 1,000 cases five year ago.
3. Second opinions may cost anywhere from $500 to $5,000 depending on the case. Despite the steep cost, many patients seek second opinions in areas such as cancer, neurosurgery, cardiology and orthopedics.
4. Patients can request medical records to be sent to an online second opinion service and can order additional tests if needed. The online services prove especially helpful for those patients who live far from academic centers.
5. Studies have found second opinions often result in different diagnoses or treatments, but some experts claim a second opinion gives patients the opportunity to find a different treatment that is less invasive and may have fewer side effects than the initial treatment plan.
6. Approximately 60 percent of patients follow the recommendation from the second opinion, according to a study published in the American Journal of Medicine.
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